Water-elevating apparatus.



T. W. GRAY. WATER ELEVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED D1201 27, 1010.

1,000,169. P11811181 Aug. 8,1911.

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- T. W. GRAY.

WATER ELEVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1910.

Patented Aug; 8, 1911.

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COLUMBIA PLANGURAPH cm, wAsI-nNGToN, D. C,

UNITE PATENT FIQ.

WATER-ELEVATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

Application filed December 27, 1910. Serial No. 599,510.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. GRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at WVoodville, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inlVater-Elevating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for elevating water by the use ofsteam or compressed air. The objects thereof are to simplify and modifyexisting structures so as to effect a great saving in their cost and tosecure greater efficiency.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectionof one form of my invention and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectio of a secondform thereof.

Referring first to Fig. 1, 1 is a tank or chamber having in its bottomthe inwardly opening inlet or foot valve 2 and the vertical outlet pipe8 extending through the top of the chamber nearly to the bottom thereofand provided with the upwardly-opening check valve 4. The pipe 3 fitsair-tightin the top of the chamber 1. 5 is the compressed air or steaminlet or conduit which is located at the top of the housing 6 on the topof the chamber 1. The inlet 5 opens into the chamber 7 which is one of avertical series of auxiliary chambers in the housing 6. The otherauxiliary chambers are marked 8, 9, and 10. The chamber 7 communicateswith the chamber 8 by means of a central opening in which the stem 11 ofthe valve 12 reciprocates, the valve being provided with a seat in thebottom of the chamber 7. The lower end of the stem 11 is provided withthe plunger 13 in the chamber 8, the plunger having a larger cross-area.than the valve 12. The chamber 9 has no direct communication with thechamber 8. It has the exhaust or air-outlet 14 opening into theatmosphere. The chamber 10 has in its upper end the valve 15 adapted toa seat in an opening leading to the chamber 9. The valve 15 is on theupper end of the stem 16 provided on its lower end with the plunger 17having a larger cross-area than that of the valve 15. In the housing 6 Iprovide a vertical passage 18 leading from the chamber 1 and providedwith an upper branch opening into the chamber 8 above the plunger 13,and a lower branch opening into the chamber 10 above the plunger 17. Inthe housing 6 I provide also the passage 19 having an upper branchopening into the chamber 8 below the plunger 13, and a lower branchopening into the chamber 10 below the plunger 17. The lower end of thepassage 19 receives the upper end of the airpipe 20 which has its lowerend secured water and air-tight in the side of the chamber 1 near thebottom thereof. The lower end of the pipe 20 opens into the atmosphereand has near the bottom of the chamber 1 the rotary valve 21 providedwith the float 22. The passage 23 in the valve is arranged to interruptthe passage of air through the pipe 20 when the float is raised to ahorizontal position, and to permit the air in the passage 19 to exhaustthrough the pipe 20 when the float is lowered. The housing 6 is providedwith a passage 24 having an upper branch leading to the chamber 7 and alower branch leading to the bottom of the chamber 25 in the saidhousing, the upper end of the chamber 25 communicating with the passage19. Within the chamber 25 is the valve casing 26 having therein thevalve chamber 27 in which the ball-valve 28 is located. The ball 28 isshown seated over an opening leading into the bottom of the chamber 25.The ball 28 will, when a strong current of air passes from the chamber25 to the passage 19, be lifted and held so as to out off the flow ofair into the passage 19. The bottom of the passage 24 is connected tothe pipe 20 by the pipe 29, in which I locate the valve 30 provided withthe float 31, the passage 32 in the valve being arranged to permit thepassage of air through the pipe 29 when the float is raised and toprevent the passage of air through the pipe 29 when the float islowered.

The parts are in the position assumed immediately after the water hasrisen to the water line 33 and raised the float 31. Just prior to thisthe valve 15 was lowered so as to be off its seat, the valve 12 waslowered so as to be on its seat, and the ball-valve 28 was raised toclose its upper seat. As soon as the float 31 rotated the valve 30 so asto permit the compressed air in the passage 24 to pass through the pipe29, and into the pipe 20 and the passage 19, the pressure on theball-valve was equalized, permitting it to fall to the position shown.The air pressure in the pipe 19 was transmitted to the chambers 8 and 10causing the valve 12 to be unseated and the valve 15 to be seated,whereby compressed air from the inlet 5 passes through the chamber 8 andthe passage 18 into contact with the water in the chamber 1. Thecompressed air on the top of the water forces the water up the outletpipe 3 to any desired place of deposit. The float 31 soon falls andcloses the valve 30. When the water level sinks so as to cause the float22 to fall, the air in the passage 19 and the pipe 20 may escape throughthe pipe 20 into the atmosphere. The rush of air from the passage 24 andthe chamber 25 past the ball valve 28 lifts the latter to its upper seatand prevents the flow of compressed air into the passage 19. As the airin the chambers 8 and 10 below the plungers 13 and 17 is reduced toatmospheric pressure, the pressure of the compressed air on the tops ofthese plungers lowers the same causing the valve 12 to be closed and thevalve 15 to be opened. thus cutting oft the compressed air from thechamber 1 and placing the latter in communication with the atmospherethrough the passage 18, the chambers 10 and 8. and the outlet 14. Waternow lifts the valve 2 and soon closes the valve 21 and finally opens thevalve 30, whereupon the described operation is repeated.

Referring now to Fig. 2, 1 is the water chamber provided with the wateroutlet 3 in which I place the check valve 4. 2 is the water inlet valvein the bottom of the chamber 1. 5 is the inlet for compressed air orsteam, opening into the chamber 7, which is one of a vertical series ofchambers in the housing 6, the other chambers being marked 8, 9, 10 and10. In the chamber 10 is the plunger 17 hearing at its top the valve 15,adapted, when closed, to prevent the passage of air into the exhaustchamber 9. The plunger 17 and the valve 15 are provided with a passage34 connecting the exhaust chamber 9 to the chamber 1O be low the plunger17 The chamber 10 contains the plunger 17 which is connected by the stem16 to the plunger 17", the stem 16 working through a stufiing box in thepartition between the chambers 10 and 10 The passage 19 in the housing 6has branches opening into the chambers 8 and 10 below the plungers 13and 17, and into the valve chambers 27 and 35. The chamber 27 isprovided with the ball-valve 28 adapted to close the passage of air tothe passage 19. The passage 24 leads from the chamber 7 to the chamber27 below the ball 28. A passage 36 connects the passages 19 and 24, thepassage 36 being regulated by the needle valve 37, operated by thethumbpiece 38. The chamber 35 has at its top a valve seat for thevertical valve 39, which controls the air passage 40 leading from thechamber to the pipe 41, extending airtight through the top of thechamber 1 nearly to the bottom thereof. The stem of the valve 39 extendsthrough a stuffing-box 42 into the chamber 43 where the stem is providedwith the plunger 44. The lower part of the chamber 43 is reduced in sizeand contains a plunger connected rigidly to the plunger 44. A passage 46connects the passage 18 to the chamber 43 above the plunger 44 and apassage 47 connects the passage 40 to the chamber 43 below the plunger45. Vithin the chamber and near the top thereof is the valve chamber 48connected below the valve 49 with the pipe 41. The valve 49 closesupwardly on its seat 50 to prevent the escape of air through the outlet51 into the chamber 1. The float 52 attached to the valve stem causesthe valve 49 to be seated when the water reaches a certain level, as 33.The passage 18 is connected to the chamber 1 by the pipe 53.

The chamber 1 being filled to the level 33, closes the valve 49, atwhich time the valve 12 is closed, the valve 15 is open, and the ballvalve 28 is at its upper position preventing air from passing to thepassage 19. The valve 37 is regulated so as to permit a small amount ofcompressed air to pass into the passage 19. When the valve 49 closes,the air passing the valve 37 cannot escape, the head of water in thechamber 1 being too great to permit the air to pass out through thelower end of the pipe 41. into the chamber 1. The density of the air inthe passages 19, 40 and 47 increases, first, so as to force up theplunger 45 and close the valve 39, making it impossible for the air toforce its way out through the pipe 41 as the density of the air in thepassage 19 rises. Finally, the pressure of the air in the passage 19increases to such a degree as to force up the valves 12 and 15, therebyopening the passage 18 to the compressed air inlet 5 and cutting off thepassage 19 from the exhaust passage 14. The equalizing of the pressureson opposite sides of the ball valve 28 permits it to fall. Compressedair being now allowed to pass the valve 12 enters the chamber 1 andforces the water up the outlet pipe 3. The compressed air enters alsothe passage 46 and the chamber 43 and pushes the plunger 44 downwardlythereby unseating the valve 39 which permits the air to enter thechamber 48 and hold the valve 49 on its seat. The pressure in thechamber 48 is greater than in the passage 18 and on the water in thechamber 1 due to friction and the head of water above the chamber 48.This difference of pressure holds the float valve 49 closed after thewater level has passed below the float. lVhen the water level nears thebottom of the chamber 1 so as to reduce the head of water over the endof the pipe 41 to a sufli cient extent, air escapes from the lower endof the pipe 41 into the chamber 1*. The escape from the pipe 41increases as the water level lowers until the air flowing past the valve28 carries it to its upper seat and closes the main passage 24 ofcompressed air to the passage 19. The pressure in the pipe 41 and in thechamber become so nearly equal that the valve 49 drops and permits theair passing the valve 37 to escape into the chamber 1 The pressure inthe passages 18 and 19 now becomes equal, the inrushing air forces thevalve 12 down permitt-ing the access of compressed air to the passage18. Pressure densities on opposite sides of the plunger 17 are equal,but on opposite sides of the plunger 17 unequal. Accordingly, the valve15 is forced down opening the passage 18 to the atmos phere at theoutlet 14. The check valve 4* prevents the water in the pipe 3 from flowing into the chamber 1. Water lifts the check valve 2 and rises in thechamber 1 until the float 52 closes the valve 49 when the operationdescribed is repeated.

The appended claims mention certain differential valves which must beunderstood to embrace not only the valves proper but also theirconnected stems and plungers.

Though I have described my invention for a specific purpose, it is clearthat it may be used with steam pressure in connection with steam trapsand other devices.

I do not limit myself to the precise details and combinations set forthas the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim- 1. In a liquid-lifting apparatus controlled by a supply ofcompressed fluid, a liquidholding chamber, an outlet pipe therefor, aninlet valve-seat between the compressedfluid supply and the chamber, avalve actuated by differential pressure and seating in the direction ofthe flow of fluid through the seat and having its smaller area incontactwith the fluid, an exhaust valve-seat for the said chamber, avalve therefor actuated by differential pressure and seating in thedirection of the flow of the exhaust fluid from the chamber through thesaid exhaust valveseat, a passage leading the compressed-fluid supply tothe larger areas of the said valves, and means controlled by theliquid-level in the chamber for exhausting the pressure on the saidlarger areas of the valves when the liquid is at a minimum low level andfor closing the said fluid exhausting means when the liquid is at amaximum higher level,

2. In a liquid-lifting apparatus controlled by a supply of compressedfluid, a liquidholding chamber, an outlet pipe therefor, inlet andexhaust valves actuated by differential pressure to control the supplyof the compressed fluid to the chamber and the exhaust of the said fluidtherefrom, a passage leading from the said compressed fluid to largerareas of the valves to open the former and close the latter, meanscontrolled by a low level of the liquid in the chamber to relieve thepressure from the said areas, and a check-valve in the said passage tocut down the pressure supply to the said areas when pressure is relievedtherefrom.

3. In a liquid-lifting apparatus controlled by a supply of compressedfluid, a liquidholding chamber, an outlet pipe therefor, an exhaustvalve actuated by differential pressure to control the supply of thecompressed fluid to the chamber and the exhaust of the said fluidtherefrom, a passage leading from the said compressed fluid to largerareas of the valves to open the former and close the latter, meanscontrolled by a low level of the liquid in the chamber to relieve thepressure from the said areas, a checkvalve in the said passage to cutdown the pressure to the said areas when pressure is relieved therefrom,a bypass around the check valve, and means for governing the passage offluid through the by-pass.

4. In a liquid-lifting apparatus, a liquidholding chamber, an outletpipe connected thereto, two differential valves controlling respectivelythe entrance of compressed gas to the chamber and the exhaust of gastherefrom, means connecting the inlet and exhaust openings controlled bythe valves with the chamber, passages connected with the compressed-gassupply to maintain the inlet-valve open and the exhaust-valve closed, anexhaust-valve controlled by the minimum level of liquid in the chamber,connections from the latter valve to the said passages, and a checkvalve to cut off the supply of compressed gas to said passages when thelast named exhaust valve is opened.

5. In a liquid-lifting apparatus controlled by a supply of compressedfluid, a pair of inlet and exhaust valves actuated by diflen entialpressure, a liquid-holding chamber connected to openings controlled bythe valves, an exhaust passage in communication with the larger areas ofthe valves, a float valve connected to the passage and opened by a lowlevel of the liquid to exhaust the the fluid to equalize the pressure onthe pressure against the said larger areas of the check Valve. 10valves, a passage connecting the fluid pres- Signed at Pittsburg, Pa.,this 22nd day of sure to the exhaust passage, and a cheek- December, A.D. 1910.

valve seated by the rush of compressed fluid THOMAS W. GRAY.

t0 the said larger areas of the said pair of WVitnesses:

inlet and exhaust valves, the said exhaust F. N. BARBER,

passage being closed by a higher level of ELVA STANIOH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. G.

